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What do you shoot and why...
- Thread starterPadaxes
- Start date
Thread Status: Hello
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Wich you have done twice in this thread!
You or you "mate" do not know the breeding life cycle of the conger and yet you are willing to present your own mere suppostition.
This is a quote from the uk vonger club. as you can see it is widley thaught they breed and die.
The breeding cycle of the Conger is still something of a mystery due to the enormous distances that they will travel to spawn. It is thought that the Conger migrate to the Sargasso Sea in the sub-tropical Atlantic to breed, spawning at depths of 10,000 to 12,000 ft. Once they spawn they are thought to die.
The only 'fact' is that no-one knows - I'm not purporting anything to the contrary. Read things more carefully, you'll have better results
Lets leave the conger thing alone. It's been done to death
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Personally I won't target a fish unless it's going to be eaten, by me, which immediately excludes Wrasse, Eel, pout etc. etc.
In some of the areas I spear there are some truly huge Pollack and I tend to not bother them but if a 5-10 lber shows itself it's fair game. My reasoning is nothing other than I now think it's a complete privilege to be able to watch these big impressive fish hunt and do their thing. I've taken some big ones up to 13lb and prob will occasionally again but it would be quite easy to eradicate them off some reefs in a few weekends of effort. There's something very nice about visiting a reef and spotting some of the big Pollack I'm familiar with from the last dive or occasionally even the last year.
I've fished for as long as I can remember and speared around 10 yrs and I definitely don't have the same blood lust/ killer instinct that I used to have and, bit of a cliche, it doesn't really matter to me if I go home with fish or not now - I just enjoy being out there in the sea.
It was a very different mindset for me 20 years ago when, after lots of research and effort, I managed to get a job in South Africa aged 21 and the 1 thing pushing me to do that was to be able to go big game fishing. I was there 5 years but in my first week had fulfilled an ambition of catching, and killing :-( a great white just under 1000lb and lots of decent Tuna etc. Great at the time but looking back on it not my greatest years!
I know many hunters who also kill a lot of animals/ fish and over time lose this strong desire but gain increasing respect for their quarry. As a Spearo who thinks quite deeply about my areas I fish I am quite aware of what I think is 'right' in term of what fish/ crustaceans to hunt but I would never judge anyone else who thought differently - as long as they're fish are also eaten.
In some of the areas I spear there are some truly huge Pollack and I tend to not bother them but if a 5-10 lber shows itself it's fair game. My reasoning is nothing other than I now think it's a complete privilege to be able to watch these big impressive fish hunt and do their thing. I've taken some big ones up to 13lb and prob will occasionally again but it would be quite easy to eradicate them off some reefs in a few weekends of effort. There's something very nice about visiting a reef and spotting some of the big Pollack I'm familiar with from the last dive or occasionally even the last year.
I've fished for as long as I can remember and speared around 10 yrs and I definitely don't have the same blood lust/ killer instinct that I used to have and, bit of a cliche, it doesn't really matter to me if I go home with fish or not now - I just enjoy being out there in the sea.
It was a very different mindset for me 20 years ago when, after lots of research and effort, I managed to get a job in South Africa aged 21 and the 1 thing pushing me to do that was to be able to go big game fishing. I was there 5 years but in my first week had fulfilled an ambition of catching, and killing :-( a great white just under 1000lb and lots of decent Tuna etc. Great at the time but looking back on it not my greatest years!
I know many hunters who also kill a lot of animals/ fish and over time lose this strong desire but gain increasing respect for their quarry. As a Spearo who thinks quite deeply about my areas I fish I am quite aware of what I think is 'right' in term of what fish/ crustaceans to hunt but I would never judge anyone else who thought differently - as long as they're fish are also eaten.
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Well great thread (some of the derailment aside of course) and therefore a worthy one for me to make my first returning to the site and diving comment on I reckon...
What do I shoot? I shoot dinner.
For me that includes Bass, Mullet, Plaice, Flounder, Pollack and Bream. Do i take other fish species, on occasion yes. I am partial to Red Mullet have taken probably 5 rays in ten years and did once take a conger. Oh and I collect shellfish, crustaceans and the occasional cepholapod.
For me its very much first and foremost about enjoying the sea, if I go home with nothing then thats fine by me, but I do enjoy fish and dont agree with commercial fishing methods nor afford their prices. I never buy fish and therefore everything I spear is eaten.
Am I excessive, well I wont lie, there have been times in my spearfishing 'career' where I may of taken more than I needed at the time, or ended up with a freezer full.
I'm not proud of those times and will freely admit that heading down that path was a mistake. I no longer own a freezer so cant stock pile things.
The blood lust someone mentioned rings true, I remember it and since leaving it behind am back in the 'happy place' in the water.. some dives I see nothing, some I take a fish or two, perhaps even three. Some dives I see fish and don't take anything.
Its very much swings and round about's but primarily I, like others here, feel I have a respect for the ocean and its inhabitants, I definitely have a love for it.
I get loads more pleasure chilling in the shallows watching bait fish or the light through the weed than I do trekking out with a boat full of guys diving hard trying to bag the new record or the next big one..
So am I sustainable, I like to think so. Am I beyond making errors in judgement. No I don't think anyone is, I have made my fair share and will probably make more, BUT there is a voice that lives in me when I dive, the one that asks what do you have planned for this.
I listen to it, take note and so far I hope its served me well.
Dive safe all.
What do I shoot? I shoot dinner.
For me that includes Bass, Mullet, Plaice, Flounder, Pollack and Bream. Do i take other fish species, on occasion yes. I am partial to Red Mullet have taken probably 5 rays in ten years and did once take a conger. Oh and I collect shellfish, crustaceans and the occasional cepholapod.
For me its very much first and foremost about enjoying the sea, if I go home with nothing then thats fine by me, but I do enjoy fish and dont agree with commercial fishing methods nor afford their prices. I never buy fish and therefore everything I spear is eaten.
Am I excessive, well I wont lie, there have been times in my spearfishing 'career' where I may of taken more than I needed at the time, or ended up with a freezer full.
I'm not proud of those times and will freely admit that heading down that path was a mistake. I no longer own a freezer so cant stock pile things.
The blood lust someone mentioned rings true, I remember it and since leaving it behind am back in the 'happy place' in the water.. some dives I see nothing, some I take a fish or two, perhaps even three. Some dives I see fish and don't take anything.
Its very much swings and round about's but primarily I, like others here, feel I have a respect for the ocean and its inhabitants, I definitely have a love for it.
I get loads more pleasure chilling in the shallows watching bait fish or the light through the weed than I do trekking out with a boat full of guys diving hard trying to bag the new record or the next big one..
So am I sustainable, I like to think so. Am I beyond making errors in judgement. No I don't think anyone is, I have made my fair share and will probably make more, BUT there is a voice that lives in me when I dive, the one that asks what do you have planned for this.
I listen to it, take note and so far I hope its served me well.
Dive safe all.
Basically, I shoot only what I want to take home to eat. If I see bass of an edible (and legal) size then I will add it to the stringer. The same applies to mullet, pollack, flatties, and anything else that tastes good.
I certainly wouldn't ever take anything out of the sea that I wasn't going to eat.
Like the above poster, I don't ever buy seafood, so I have no qualms about taking several fish to eat fresh and to freeze.
I used to shoot wrasse (to make fishcakes, curries, etc.) but never do anymore as I haven't yet found a way of cooking them that justifies taking them out of the sea.
I love spearfishing and have done it since I learned it from my dad in my early teens. I see it as something to be enjoyed and also as a highly sustainable way of putting food on the table. Keep it up!
I certainly wouldn't ever take anything out of the sea that I wasn't going to eat.
Like the above poster, I don't ever buy seafood, so I have no qualms about taking several fish to eat fresh and to freeze.
I used to shoot wrasse (to make fishcakes, curries, etc.) but never do anymore as I haven't yet found a way of cooking them that justifies taking them out of the sea.
I love spearfishing and have done it since I learned it from my dad in my early teens. I see it as something to be enjoyed and also as a highly sustainable way of putting food on the table. Keep it up!
Interesting and thought-provoking thread with some excellent posts. Everyone has their beliefs and moral compass.
For me I find it difficult to ascribe a "value", or indeed a sliding scale of values, to animals based on my perception of how they feel pain or how intelligent I perceive them to be. Whether I kill a fish or animal is based upon a complex set of factors including the health of that species' population in that area, the lifecycle, how i will use the carcass as fully as possible, seasonal factors and most importantly whether I can kill it as cleanly as possible.
I believe all animals feel pain and therefore I seek to limit this pain by using what I deem to be an effective killing method. I don't place any less value on the life of a Pollock than I do on a Red Stag. They are both living creatures that will feel pain at their point of death. I kill both as humanely as I can and show my respect for the animal by taking only what will be used and then using what I take to the full.
Animals live and die, if they die by my hand I do my utmost to ensure it is as quick a death as possible.
I rear my own chickens for the table as I know they have had a healthy free-range life and a quick death. I understand that many people find it hard to believe that someone who kills chickens that he held as tiny day-old chicks can feel empathy and respect for animals. Similarly when someone sees me with rabbits or deer I have shot they often cannot see beyond the act of killing. However I have found that those who are most opiniated on the subject are also those who have the hollowest arguments against my way of life. Basing their case on whether an animal is "cute" or their perception of cruelty. Eating €2.99 chicken from a supermarket without questioning the conditions it has been reared in is in my view supporting a far greater level of cruelty than cleanly killing a wild fish or animal. I am happy to listen to a vegan's arguments as they have committed to living in accordance with their beliefs. It's the leather-wearing vegetarians and anti-hunting meat-eaters that baffle me!
Not everyone who eats meat can kill it themselves and that's understandable. The issue is that society in general is so far removed from the killing that provides their fish and meat that they cannot see their involvement in the process anymore. When confronted with the reality of death they project their discomfort and perhaps an element of guilt onto the person who carries out the killing thereby disassociating themselves from the act.
I grow my own fruit and veg, hunt with ferret, dog and hawk. Shoot with rifles, shotgun and speargun. Not because I want to be photographed with a stringer full of fish but because in my view the best way to appreciate and respect nature is to be part of it. Show respect for what you kill by using it to the full. A lot of forum members here post photos of the meal they create from their catch. This shows that the majority of spearos take as much pride in putting their sustainably harvested fish to good use as they do in their breath-holding and hunting ability. That's how it should be.
Tiernan
For me I find it difficult to ascribe a "value", or indeed a sliding scale of values, to animals based on my perception of how they feel pain or how intelligent I perceive them to be. Whether I kill a fish or animal is based upon a complex set of factors including the health of that species' population in that area, the lifecycle, how i will use the carcass as fully as possible, seasonal factors and most importantly whether I can kill it as cleanly as possible.
I believe all animals feel pain and therefore I seek to limit this pain by using what I deem to be an effective killing method. I don't place any less value on the life of a Pollock than I do on a Red Stag. They are both living creatures that will feel pain at their point of death. I kill both as humanely as I can and show my respect for the animal by taking only what will be used and then using what I take to the full.
Animals live and die, if they die by my hand I do my utmost to ensure it is as quick a death as possible.
I rear my own chickens for the table as I know they have had a healthy free-range life and a quick death. I understand that many people find it hard to believe that someone who kills chickens that he held as tiny day-old chicks can feel empathy and respect for animals. Similarly when someone sees me with rabbits or deer I have shot they often cannot see beyond the act of killing. However I have found that those who are most opiniated on the subject are also those who have the hollowest arguments against my way of life. Basing their case on whether an animal is "cute" or their perception of cruelty. Eating €2.99 chicken from a supermarket without questioning the conditions it has been reared in is in my view supporting a far greater level of cruelty than cleanly killing a wild fish or animal. I am happy to listen to a vegan's arguments as they have committed to living in accordance with their beliefs. It's the leather-wearing vegetarians and anti-hunting meat-eaters that baffle me!
Not everyone who eats meat can kill it themselves and that's understandable. The issue is that society in general is so far removed from the killing that provides their fish and meat that they cannot see their involvement in the process anymore. When confronted with the reality of death they project their discomfort and perhaps an element of guilt onto the person who carries out the killing thereby disassociating themselves from the act.
I grow my own fruit and veg, hunt with ferret, dog and hawk. Shoot with rifles, shotgun and speargun. Not because I want to be photographed with a stringer full of fish but because in my view the best way to appreciate and respect nature is to be part of it. Show respect for what you kill by using it to the full. A lot of forum members here post photos of the meal they create from their catch. This shows that the majority of spearos take as much pride in putting their sustainably harvested fish to good use as they do in their breath-holding and hunting ability. That's how it should be.
Tiernan
Amazed to see the abundance of fellow pescatarians out there. I think respect for the environment is crucial, closely followed by respect for other peoples considered opinions. I don't eat meat, but I took my by-product billy goats to the mobile slaughterman myself and helped him dispatch a small flock of sheep in return, so I'm doing my best to avoid being hypocritical. I can't make a good argument against eating humanely reared, hunted, or road killed meat, but I just don't fancy eat.
I have taken a cuttlefish and it tasted good, but have also just watched a couple.
I agree that in the face of the devastation caused to global fish stocks by our population we should be proud and vocal in our defence of our sport, which has to be the most sustainable form of catching fish. I've yet to come home with a boat load of bass, but I've come home with none enough times. Glad to hear people's ideas, and that people are thinking about what they shoot.
I have taken a cuttlefish and it tasted good, but have also just watched a couple.
I agree that in the face of the devastation caused to global fish stocks by our population we should be proud and vocal in our defence of our sport, which has to be the most sustainable form of catching fish. I've yet to come home with a boat load of bass, but I've come home with none enough times. Glad to hear people's ideas, and that people are thinking about what they shoot.
Having just had 6 blanks in four days:waterwork (not unusual for me)im not overly concern what I shoot or why .But im really happy just being in the sea.being lucky anough to be in that enviroment is good for me .just to suddenly look up from searching the bottom to find yourself in a shole of two thousand bait fish who are un phase by you being there is fantastic.to be close to any wildlife, like breaking the surface to have razerbills looking at you from three feet away is probibly as enjoyable as getting a fish .But I will get that pesky lobster one day no matter how hard he hides
.being lucky anough to be in that enviroment is good for me .just to suddenly look up from searching the bottom to find yourself in a shole of two thousand bait fish who are un phase by you being there is fantastic.to be close to any wildlife, like breaking the surface to have razerbills looking at you from three feet away is probibly as enjoyable as getting a fish .But I will get that pesky lobster one day no matter how hard he hides
Right then, what species of fish and pods, in your own opinions would you say are unacceptable/taboo to shoot?
Obviously, fresh water eels, sea trout and salmon.
I'd say (in my own opinion) a nice sunfish would defo be a no go, same goes for Lumpsuckers, monkfish - I Did see one in portland harbour (not anglerfish) :blackeye and wrasse.
How about shark species?? like the portland porbie? would that be very wrong? my guess is that you would probably get a lot of stick for nailing one?
Obviously, fresh water eels, sea trout and salmon.
I'd say (in my own opinion) a nice sunfish would defo be a no go, same goes for Lumpsuckers, monkfish - I Did see one in portland harbour (not anglerfish) :blackeye and wrasse.
How about shark species?? like the portland porbie? would that be very wrong? my guess is that you would probably get a lot of stick for nailing one?
Well Sea Trout are illegal to shoot aren't they, anything Illegal is out.
I think everyone can agree that shooting something you are not going to eat is a no go, but that's probably about the only thing we would all agree on!
The rest? Well I guess that's what this thread is about.
I personally wouldn't shoot a shark, but then I wouldn't shoot a cuttlefish or an octopus either
I think everyone can agree that shooting something you are not going to eat is a no go, but that's probably about the only thing we would all agree on!
The rest? Well I guess that's what this thread is about.
I personally wouldn't shoot a shark, but then I wouldn't shoot a cuttlefish or an octopus either